Dhanush vs Nayanthara row drags in Netflix over documentary streaming on OTT

CHENNAI: The heated dispute between actors Dhanush and Nayanthara, two of the most popular faces in Kollywood, has plumbed to newer depths after his production house moved to implead OTT giant Netflix, which is streaming the documentary ‘Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale’.

Earlier, he had issued legal notice to Nayanthara and her husband, director Vignesh Shivan, for using clippings filmed during the shooting of ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ in the documentary about her life and career.

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Wunderbar Films, Dhanush’s production house, alleged that the clippings were used without consent – which is mandatory as per copyright law, as it is the film's producer.

Also Read: FULL TEXT: Nayanthara’s three-page letter to Dhanush

When Wunderbar’s application came before him for hearing, Justice Abdul Quddhose of the Madras High Court allowed it to sue Los Gatos Production Services Limited, the India representative of Netflix that is stationed in Mumbai, out of the jurisdictional limit of the Madras High Court.

The judge also directed Nayanthara and her husband Vignesh Shivan to respond to the suit and adjourned the matter.

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In the petition, Dhanush said the makers of the documentary did not obtain the no-objection certificate (NOC) from him for using the clippings from ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ in the documentary on Nayanthara that is now being streamed on Netflix, an OTT platform.

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Hence, he filed the suit against Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan, and filed the application to implead Netflix.

The relationship between Dhanush and Nayanthara, which remained testy for nearly a decade since the film's production in 2015, plumbed yet again after she issued an open letter accusing him of acting petty by not granting permission to use clips. The allegations that she raised were not merely professional but also touched his personal life right from the first portion of the letter in which she addressed him as the son of yesteryear director Kasthuri Raja and brother of director Selvaraghavan – a thinly veiled allegation of nepotism – while portraying herself as a self-made woman.

Also Read: Dhanush’s female co-stars show support to Nayan

Earlier, Dhanush had sent a legal notice to Nayanthara seeking Rs 10 crore for exploiting his copyright by using the clippings of ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ without mandatory consent.